Florence’s legacy: The money you gave will help other children with childhood cancer

Post navigation

Money raised for Florence will go towards research into childhood cancers.

Florence Jackson died in February of neuroblastoma at the age of just two.

Compassionate EYE readers, enchanted by her smile and moved by her ordeal which included over 20 rounds of chemotherapy, were among the generous strangers who had poured money into a JustGiving appeal launched by her father, estate agent Rodney Jackson, and mother Carolyn.

The couple had hoped to take Florence to America where a specialist surgeon had achieved good results with neuroblastoma.

The fund shot way over its initial target of £250,000 to stand at £312,504, with some of the money coming in when EYE held a #FlorenceDay, which our readers very generously supported.

Tragically, Florence died at the Royal Marsden hospital where she spent so much of her short life. Tributes from our readers included one which said she had united an industry.

Rodney, a negotiator at Proctors, in West Wickham, Kent, thanks everyone for their kind support.

He told us: “My wife and I were overwhelmed with the generosity from around the world. We have had a very tough few months trying to accept Flo’s passing, but it is getting easier as time passes.

“We are in talks with the hospital where Flo spent over half of her life, setting up a fund for research, in particular into neuroblastoma which is the cancer she had.

“We are currently waiting for a proposal from the hospital for the type of research they wish to carry out.

“We are staggered that out of all the money raised by Cancer Research, only 1% goes towards childhood cancers, which sickens me.

“So we are going to continue to raise money and awareness for this very cruel disease. My wife is going to be running the Great North Run with my sister in September. The training is really helping my wife and her grieving.”

Post navigation

Email the story to a friend

2 Comments

What happened to poor Florence was every parent’s nightmare. I can’t claim to know what her parents are going through but I feel the deepest sympathy for them.

Having worked in the NHS for many years in my youth I know how tragic serious childhood disease can be.

I wish Rodney and his wife all the strength in the world to do good from such tragedy. Let’s hope above all else Florence’s legacy might be to help save future parents and children from such a cruel type of cancer.